Uh Oh, Hardware issue. (SOLVED)

[Asmund]

So one of my PS3's has been overheating lately. Not a problem though right just open it up clean it, change the thermal paste no big deal.....Except this time while screwing in the heat sink clamps one of the screws snapped off inside the hole 0_0, instant panic, just to test I turn it back on with one of the clamps not fully on and the temperature sky rockets, and for the first time ever I gradually hear what 100% fan speed sounds like (it's terrifying like a bomb slowly arming itself) and decide to turn it off before it explodes or something. No big deal though right I can rig this....so I go get a flat washer  and wedge it in there so the clamp stays down, turn it back on and this time I get about 5 minutes of play time before the bomb starts to arm itself again.

 

SO, that's the situation, I've come to the conclusion that I'm either screwed (HAR ?) or I need to find a way to get that broken piece of screw out of that hole and go buy a heat sink clamp kit for like $5, but how exactly would I go about doing that? I don't think they make screw extractors that small I went to all the usual hardware stores and notta, one guy flatly told me he's pretty sure they don't go that small. Also, even if they make a screw extractor that small I was under the impression that is just for stripped screw heads not blatantly broken ones? Any corrections to my logic would be welcome , or advice etc. I still have my other PS3's but having 4 of them kinda made grinding non existent in multiplayers and buying a new one is absurd they are selling for like $400 right now..

Edited February 25, 2020 by Asmund89

[danceswithsloths]

25 minutes ago, Asmund89 said:

So one of my PS3's has been overheating lately. Not a problem though right just open it up clean it, change the thermal paste no big deal.....Except this time while screwing in the heat sink clamps one of the screws snapped off inside the hole 0_0, instant panic, just to test I turn it back on with one of the clamps not fully on and the temperature sky rockets, and for the first time ever I gradually hear what 100% fan speed sounds like (it's terrifying like a bomb slowly arming itself) and decide to turn it off before it explodes or something. No big deal though right I can rig this....so I go get a flat washer  and wedge it in there so the clamp stays down, turn it back on and this time I get about 5 minutes of play time before the bomb starts to arm itself again.

 

SO, that's the situation, I've come to the conclusion that I'm either screwed (HAR ) or I need to find a way to get that broken piece of screw out of that hole and go buy a heat sink clamp kit for like $5, but how exactly would I go about doing that? I don't think they make screw extractors that small I went to all the usual hardware stores and notta, one guy flatly told me he's pretty sure they don't go that small. Also, even if they make a screw extractor that small I was under the impression that is just for stripped screw heads not blatantly broken ones? Any corrections to my logic would be welcome , or advice etc. I still have my other PS3's but having 4 of them kinda made grinding non existent in multiplayers and buying a new one is absurd they are selling for like $400 right now..

 

Screw extractors can work on sheared screws like you are talking about, but I've never had super great luck with them. At least not when using them on vehicles, I've never used one on such a small scale. They do seem to make them though, if you google "Micro Screw Extractor" there are a good number of very small ones, but they're somewhat expensive.

 

This sounds like an interesting problem... were you working on a car I could suggest a number of things, but the PS3 changes things lol. You can't exactly just drill out the old screw and tap new threads lol. 

 

You say there is a heat sink clamp that you could get for $5-ish? That sounds like your best and cheapest option. It uses an alternate method to clamp it down without the use of that screw I assume? That'll do.

 

Also, goodness that price is insane, are you in the U.S.? Used PS3s are $100-$150 where I'm at in Colorado.

Edited February 25, 2020 by danceswithsloths

[Asmund]

7 minutes ago, danceswithsloths said:

You say there is a heat sink clamp that you could get for $5-ish? That sounds like your best and cheapest option. It uses an alternate method to clamp it down without the use of that screw I assume? That'll do.

 

Also, goodness that price is insane, are you in the U.S.? Used PS3s are $100-$150 where I'm at in Colorado.

The heat sink clamp just gives me new clamps, and new screws aka the broken screw needs to be replaced in the event that I get the broken screw out.

 

So, in the event that I can get it out, $5 is a cheap replacement. I really don't want to get a used one as people like to CFW them or take their IDs out of them for use on their jailbroken stuff. I could get lucky of course and get a good one, but I've heard anything on eBay (used in general) either has left over software that'll get you banned, or has had the CID taken out of it and will one day get banned on PSN when whoever is spoofing that ID gets flagged. Horror stories etc. I don't know the exact details just hear say stuff from a buddy of a buddy of a buddy, you know that kinda gossip.

Edited February 25, 2020 by Asmund89

[danceswithsloths]

12 minutes ago, Asmund89 said:

The heat sink clamp just gives me new clamps, and new screws aka the broken screw needs to be replaced in the event that I get the broken screw out.

 

So, in the event that I can get it out, $5 is a cheap replacement. I really don't want to get a used one as people like to CFW them or take their IDs out of them for use on their jailbroken stuff. I could get lucky of course and get a good one, but I've heard anything on eBay (used in general) either has left over software that'll get you banned, or has had the CID taken out of it and will one day get banned on PSN when whoever is spoofing that ID gets flagged. Horror stories etc. I don't know the exact details just hear say stuff from a buddy of a buddy of a buddy, you know that kinda gossip.

Interesting, I've never heard that but I wouldn't know I have never bought a PS3. Good to know.

 

Hmm, so even with the clamp kit you need to get the screw out? That is a problem... I guess I would probably try the micro screw extractors then as my first option, they are a little spendy but certainly less than a new PS3.

 

The screw must have gotten cross-threaded and snapped? No judgement if this is what happened lol, I've done it myself once or twice. If so, there's a high chance that the extractors won't be able to get it out, since it'll be wedged tight. Drip some WD-40 on the screw and let it soak for a bit before trying, it should help some. 

 

There's much more drastic measures that you can use for situations like this, but it's hard to say for sure what could work without being familiar with the hardware myself. I'll take a look at some pics of the pieces and let you know if I think of anything.

[Otonio_Bruno]

Dang, that's a brain-teasing issue. I've never opened a ps3 myself, but have some experience tinkering with 360 motherboards and I do remember that a badly set heatsinks clamp can basically kill the console very fast because of the temperature rising fast as hell.

 

Is it possible to 'unscrew' the broken screw from below? I think some pictures of the broken screw+heatsink clamps could also give some ideas on how to solve this problem.

[Asmund]

2 hours ago, danceswithsloths said:

The screw must have gotten cross-threaded and snapped? No judgement if this is what happened lol, I've done it myself once or twice. If so, there's a high chance that the extractors won't be able to get it out, since it'll be wedged tight. Drip some WD-40 on the screw and let it soak for a bit before trying, it should help some.

 

Most likely ?, and of course once it gave resistance and started to strip the head I was like crap, better put more pressure into it....so I did and instead of the head stripping the bolt section snapped off in there...cheap metal (no doubt lmao ?, definitely not my fault LOL)

[Asmund]

49 minutes ago, Otonio_Bruno said:

 

Is it possible to 'unscrew' the broken screw from below? I think some pictures of the broken screw+heatsink clamps could also give some ideas on how to solve this problem.

Uhh, I don't know actually but that's a really good suggestion ?. I'll try that later, and if it doesn't work I'll grab pics while I'm back in there.

[Asmund]

 

@Otonio_Bruno @danceswithsloths

 

K so on the left is the bad hole, and on the right is what the hole should look like (good hole), also included a picture of a good screw and the clamp itself, I don't have the bad screw anymore, but I'd say about half of the thread broke off, so use the good screw for comparison. Crazy to think how that one piece of metal not being secure can cause the whole thing to turn into an oven. Also, it is not possible to unscrew it from the underside, nothing came through it's just stuck in the middle of thread shaft. both sides just appear as a hole with a piece clogging it. So it's safe to assume the break was caused by a cross thread.

 

~Edit: Nvm, just realized the screw is stuck in the heat sink housing and that housing can be removed....a new housing costs $12....BAM SOLVED, thanks for the help guys.

Edited February 25, 2020 by Asmund89

[Otonio_Bruno]

Awesome! And it only went from maybe impossible $5 fix to a $12 very possible fix. From the photos it really looked a bad case if you tried to remove it from any side and the only solution I could think was to have a small and thin enough drill that could drill the inside the screw and unscrew it back once you drilled in enough to get it tight.

 

As far heatsinks clamps goes, they need really need to be tight in place because the superficial connection between the heatsink and the thermal paste must be really 'thin' and broad in order to dish out the heat that come from the chips onto thermal paste and onto heatsink as efficiently as possible, it's some thermodynamics stuff that's kinda complicated to explain tbh.

Edited February 25, 2020 by Otonio_Bruno

[Guest]

I just recently reapplied new thermal paste on my ps4. It looks like Sony went cheap on paste to save themselves a few bucks. Every game that used to have my fans running like a jet engine now sounds like a baby. 

I haven't done the ps3 yet since still sound and heat seems ok but this is good to know for future reference. Thxs!!

[SnowxSakura]

1 hour ago, NERVergoproxy said:

I just recently reapplied new thermal paste on my ps4. It looks like Sony went cheap on paste to save themselves a few bucks. Every game that used to have my fans running like a jet engine now sounds like a baby. 

I haven't done the ps3 yet since still sound and heat seems ok but this is good to know for future reference. Thxs!!

They've always used garbage paste, I've taken apart brand new systems in the past where the paste was already dried up and cracking. Shame they don't use more quality stuff, but I guess they cheap out since they sell them at a loss. 

[Helyx]

1 hour ago, NERVergoproxy said:

I haven't done the ps3 yet since still sound and heat seems ok

 

Been needing to fix my original 40Gb; pretty sure it's a faulty thermal sensor. The console goes into overdrive within 5 seconds of turning it on.